The UK Lord’s Taverners Celebrity Cricket XI tour of Cape Town included a kit handover to the MCC Masi 750 Sports Club, which is based at Ukhanyo Primary School in Masiphumelele township near Hout Bay.
The MCC Masi 750 Sports Club, which has rejuvenated sport at the school, is spearheaded by former Natal and Middlesex fast bowler Vince van der Bijl, who in less than three years has transformed dusty, disused fields into two artificial sports fields and three cricket nets hosting 17 teams across eight sports.
Leading the Taverners’ Sports Recycling Kit handover was former England cricket captain Mike Gatting and TV presenter Jonnie Irwin. The pair delivered cricket equipment gathered from clubs around the United Kingdom, and from The Cricketer Magazine and Gunn & Moore Cricket, including bats, batting pads, gloves, balls and a large bag.
Irwin, who proved a hit with the children practicing in the nets, said: “Many young people find it hard to access sport, with one of the main barriers being a simple lack of access to the right kit and equipment. When you think that less than three years ago, Ukhanyo had no field and just one netball court, it’s amazing to see how sport is making a huge difference every day.
“It’s fantastic that we can play our part in that and for many years to come with the announcement of this long-term partnership to provide playing kit and equipment for the current and future generations of Masiphumelele.”